Eldon L. "Buck" Buckner

Born on a stock farm at the start of World War II, I have been interested in wildlife, hunting and firearms as long as I can remember. In grade school, with encouragement from Jack O'Connor of Outdoor Life, I became a voracious reader of anything pertaining to wildlife or hunting/fishing. I first discovered the Boone and Crockett Club in the form of the 1952 edition of Records of North American Big Game, when I was 14 years old. As I became older and involved in my professional career as a Range Conservationist with the US Forest Service, I learned more about the Club that had started in one of my Wildlife Management classes at the University of Arizona where we were taught about Roosevelt, Leopold and early B&C conservation efforts.

The Boone and Crockett Club became a bigger part of my life when I was appointed an Official Measurer in 1968, at age 25. I've always been a believer in conservation, both as a professional and as a rancher, so it is natural for me to hold the Boone and Crockett Club in the highest esteem as the founder of the conservation movement in America. My wife and I contribute because we want to see that effort continue.

Our first major gift to the Boone and Crockett Club was to the Campaign for Wildlife endowment effort in 1999. We gave $100,000 worth of highly appreciated stock, which allowed us an income tax deduction at full market value without incurring any capital gains tax on the appreciation. It was an economical way to give.

Our recent $100,000 gift of a Charitable Gift Annuity was a way to obtain a sizable income tax deduction and receive lifetime income, almost tax free, at a rate more than double what the money was earning before.

*Please note: Since your gift annuity benefits under federal rules may be different from this, you may want to click here to view a color example of your benefits.

Buck Buckner
Boone and Crockett Club Regular Member since 1990